Feeding and Growth

Feeding is such a vital aspect of looking after children and one which causes so much concern for parents that we have already given it two whole chapters to itself. Growth and food are fundamentally linked together. All the complex genetic, hormonal, physical and behavioural developments we have described cannot take place if your baby is not properly nourished. Nourishment is most important during the vulnerable last months in the womb and the first months after birth. If a baby is not fed at all he will die. If he is not fed properly he will not grow or develop properly. This is obviously a big responsibility for parents and it is why mothers worry so much about breast- or bottle-feeding and if their children will not eat greens or drink milk. You will have read and heard a lot of different advice about eating enough vitamins, getting enough roughage, not eating sweet, sugary foods, being wary of foods that cause allergies or behaviour problems. It can all be very bewildering and make you understandably anxious. In fact the main point about giving your baby nourishment so that he grows properly is actually very simple - he should be given enough to eat. What is enough for him may not be enough for your friend's child, and what is enough for him when he is eighteen months old may not be enough for him when he is three years old, although at this stage he may actually want less to eat because children develop likes, dislikes, increases and decreases in appetite just as adults do.

Remember that growing takes a lot of energy, far more than adults use, and, of course, your child will be using energy for all his activities as well. Energy uses up calories which is why it is important that your child's diet contains enough calories. Different foods are required for different aspects of growth and health. The importance of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and fibre are all explained in feeding your baby and feeding the under-fives. In general, if your child has plenty of energy for his usual activities, if his bowel motions and urine are normal, if he looks well, with clear skin, bright eyes and shiny hair, and if he very broadly follows his own centile curves, then no matter how little you fear he is eating, you can be sure that he is growing and developing normally. Similarly, even if your child eats like a horse and has a passion for what you consider to be unsuitable foods, so long as his growth curves do not rise above what they should be (which may indicate that he is too fat), and so long as his behaviour and looks are normal then you shouldn't worry either. More problems are caused by battles and rigid rules about food than are ever caused by food itself. Food provides your child with the energy to grow and to function. It is not a religion or a test of your love.